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Updated: Feb 17, 2026

Cell-Free DNA Integrity Analysis in Urine Samples
Published on: January 5, 2017
Causal somatic mutations in urine DNA from persons with the CLOVES subgroup of the PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum
M E Michel1, D J Konczyk2, K S Yeung3
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopaedic Research Laboratories, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
Abstract:
Congenital lipomatous overgrowth with vascular, epidermal, and skeletal (CLOVES) anomalies and Klippel-Trenaunay (KTS) syndromes are caused by somatic gain-of-function mutations in PIK3CA, encoding a catalytic subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase. Affected tissue is needed to find mutations, as mutant alleles are not detectable in blood. Because some patients with CLOVES develop Wilms tumor, we tested urine as a source of DNA for mutation detection. We extracted DNA from the urine of 17 and 24 individuals with CLOVES and KTS, respectively, and screened 5 common PIK3CA mutation hotspots using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction. Six of 17 CLOVES participants (35%) had mutant PIK3CA alleles in urine. Among 8 individuals in whom a mutation had been previously identified in affected tissue, 4 had the same mutant allele in the urine. One study participant with CLOVES had been treated for Wilms tumor. We detected the same PIK3CA mutation in her affected tissue, urine, and tumor, indicating Wilms tumors probably arise from PIK3CA mutant cells in patients with CLOVES. No urine sample from a participant with KTS had detectable PIK3CA mutations. We suggest that urine, which has the advantage of being collected non-invasively, is useful when searching for mutations in individuals with CLOVES syndrome.
Insights
Urine DNA analysis can detect PIK3CA mutations in individuals with Congenital lipomatous overgrowth with vascular, epidermal, and skeletal (CLOVES) anomalies. This non-invasive method aids in diagnosing CLOVES syndrome and understanding Wilms tumor origins.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
- Pediatric Syndromes
Background:
- Congenital lipomatous overgrowth with vascular, epidermal, and skeletal (CLOVES) anomalies and Klippel-Trenaunay (KTS) syndromes stem from somatic PIK3CA mutations.
- Detecting these mutations typically requires invasive tissue biopsies, as they are absent in blood.
- Wilms tumor is a known complication in some CLOVES patients, suggesting a link to PIK3CA mutations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the utility of urine DNA for detecting PIK3CA mutations in CLOVES and KTS syndromes.
- To assess if urine mutation detection correlates with affected tissue mutations.
- To explore the origin of Wilms tumors in CLOVES patients through mutation analysis.
Main Methods:
- DNA extraction from urine samples of 17 CLOVES and 24 KTS participants.
- Screening of common PIK3CA mutation hotspots using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR).
- Comparison of urine-detected mutations with previously identified mutations in affected tissues.
Main Results:
- PIK3CA mutations were detected in the urine of 35% (6/17) of CLOVES participants.
- Four out of eight CLOVES individuals with known tissue mutations also had detectable mutations in their urine.
- The same PIK3CA mutation was identified in the affected tissue, urine, and Wilms tumor of one CLOVES patient.
- No PIK3CA mutations were found in the urine samples of KTS participants.
Conclusions:
- Urine DNA analysis is a viable, non-invasive method for detecting PIK3CA mutations in individuals with CLOVES syndrome.
- This approach can aid in the diagnosis of CLOVES and potentially identify the cellular origin of associated Wilms tumors.
- Urine mutation detection offers a practical alternative to tissue biopsy for PIK3CA-related disorders like CLOVES.
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